Crockpot Gyros

An authentic gyro is roasted in a vertical spit, but this crockpot version is a great homemade alternative to the real thing. I discovered this recipe through Pinterest at Rainy Day Gal. Her recipe is an adaptation of one by A Year of Slow Cooking. I couldn’t find ground lamb, so I used beef instead. I’m not sure what lamb would have been like, but it tasted great with the beef and turkey combination.

I used a Middle Eastern herb blend called Za’atar that my brother and his fiancee had given me for Christmas. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it. For those of you on Vancouver Island, you can find it at Hazelwood Herb Farm in Ladysmith BC. It’s a blend of sumac, thyme, sesame seeds, oregano, basil, summer savory, sweet marjoram, salt and lemon peel. It worked really well in the gyros, and it’s delicious in hummus too. If you can’t find Za’atar anywhere near you, here’s a link to make your own homemade Za’atar. Or you could just use oregano, as the original recipe calls for.

I have to admit that blending the meat in a food processor was sort of gross, but once it was in the crockpot, the aroma that wafted through our house as it cooked was incredible. I couldn’t wait to try it. You could eat it just like a meatloaf if you wanted.

I decided to serve it in warm pita bread with greek salad and tzatziki sauce. The boys found them a little hard to eat so they ended up pulling them apart and using a fork. They still really enjoyed the gyros, and so did Tony and I. We didn’t use all the meat, so I chopped it up and used it in Greek pizza the next next. I don’t have a photo of that because we ate it up so quickly!

Crockpot Gyros

Place ground beef and turkey, spices and salt in a food processor and blend well. Form it into a loaf with your hands. Place onion and garlic into the bottom of your crockpot. Lay the meat loaf on top. Squeeze lemon juice over top. Cover and cook for 4 hours on low (or 2 hours on high).
Slice the meat and serve in warmed pita with Greek salad and tzatziki sauce. Wrap them in foil to hold them together.

Sorry Amin, I must have missed your email, I don’t use google+ very often except to share blog posts. I’m so glad that my essay helped you. Wow! How did you know that was mine?? I was a university student when I wrote that.

I saw your email address on the main page of your old blog, Cafe Des Poetes (http://cafedes.tripod.com). I searched it in google and found your new blog, The GD Diaries. Then I found this website and your profile on Google+ 🙂

It was a little bit shocking. Seeing a picture of someone that was taken 9 years ago (or maybe more) here (http://cafedes.tripod.com/aboutme.htm) and then finding your new blog and see how much time has passed. I can’t still believe that it’s been 9 years since 2004!!

So, yeah.. It’s very nice to hear from you.. Your essay really inspired me for writing my own, which is for my grade 12 english class.. Thank you again :} I’ll check this blog everyday from now on 🙂

Yeah. Time passes quickly.. Well, although you’re kidding, but you’re not old 😀 even a 80 year old person is young if they have a young heart. The rest don’t matter.

I was actually thinking of asking you to start posting on your website again. Not specifically on tripod, but I can help you to bring posts from the old blog to another free service, like blogger or wordpress, so you can start writing in it again if you want. That would actually be great. Specially now that it’s been a decade from your last post and if you write again on literature, we can see how much you and the way you think might have changed.

If you still like to write about literature, let me know and I’ll try to help you transfer your blog to a new system so I can read more from you. I can also submit my own essay to the new blog 🙂

I also have a blog, but it’s mainly focused on my interactions with technology. although i might right personal things in it as well: http://aminbandali.com

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Welcome! I’m Megan.

My kids like to whine, especially when it comes to the food they eat, but that doesn't stop me from trying to make tasty and healthy meals for them. Follow along as I share family-friendly recipes and reviews from my picky family members, who I lovingly call "The Whine Critics." Read More…